Convertible vehicle



Aug. 26, 1941. N. w. AuGusTlNE CONVERTIBLE VEHICLE.

H w E N L ai L ab Original Filed Sept. 20, 1939 E NAME. N@

l fnvenzo v Attorneys Aug. 26, 1941. N, w, AUGUs'nNE CONVERTIBLE VEHICLE2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Attorjzeys Original Filed Sept. 20, 1939Patented Aug. 26, 1941 signor to The A. J. Miller Company,Bellefontaine, Ukio, a corporation of Ohio Original VapplicationSeptember 20, 1939, Serial Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in convertible vehicles, it moreespecially relating to means for converting a funeral vvehicle such as ahearse to an ambulance or invalid car; this application beinga"div'is'io'n of my pendingv application Serial No. 295,797, ledSeptember 20,

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a vehicle forundertakers which is'easily converted from a hearse to'an ambulance orvice versa, and which may be readily restored to the form of a hearse.

Another object is to make provision `for, such conversion in a mannerthat eliminates removal ofany part fromthe vehiclein` making the change.Y

In the accompanying' drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of the oor of a vehicle when -thesameisarranged as a hearse.v

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section o n the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on `the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. *Y

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary `plan View similar to Fig. 1 but with some ofthe parts in a different working position. In this View the vehicle hasbeen converted to the ambulance'form.

Fig. 5 is a partial longitudinal section similar to Fig. 2 with some ofthe parts in a different Working position. l

Fig. 6 is a view of a portion of Fig. k5`showing the manner in which theseat is made ready for folding.

Referring to the drawings, a fioor plan only of a vehicle is shown inFig. 1 with the parts arranged to adapt the vehicle for use as a funeralcar. In Fig. 1 the forward 'end ordrivers compartment is at the left'endofthe figure and! the casket may be loaded into the vehicle from theopposite or rear end (right end of Fig. 1), the casket being rolled inover rollers of'well known form such as indicated at I, I', I., Ia andIb. A portion of the floor is left undisturbed in the changeoveroperation. This portion is indicated at 2, and carries one of therollers indicatedy at I. The vehicle is provided with side entrancessuch as indicated at 3 on the right-'hand side of the vehicle and at 4on the left-hand side, these entrances being shown in broken lines.

The reason for converting a funeral car to an ambulance is an obviousone because of the different uses to which the vehicle may be put,

but one of the functions for thermanner as described in this invention'is to-conceal certain Divided and 24,1940, Seria-l No. 347,102

this application July inside appearances of a funeral car when theVehicle is serving as an ambulance, it having been found that patientsobject to the sight of casket rollers.

In view of the fact that an emergency call for an vinvalid vehicleleaves very little time for conversion, the means for making theconversion is designed to require a minimum of time and at the same timeeffectively conceal certain such equipment that would remind a patientof a funeral vehicle.

Referring to Fig. 2, the floor level is elevated to clear the up-curvedportion 5 ofthe vehicle frame 5. This floor level isknown as the caskettable, and all the movable parts of the floor that enter into theconversion are at the sameoor level. The upper or visible part of theflooring maybe of wood, the different sections of which are trimmed withmoulding 'I.

One of such movable floor sections is indicated at 8, and in this caseis provided Iwith i'lve of the casket rollers l.. This floor section 8is adjacent the rear door of the vehicle and is supported on a formedsheet metal'support 9, which support 9 is supported by the frame, oneofthe supports being a wooden rear transverse member I0 shown in Fig. 2.By lifting the floor section 8 by one of the finger holds Il, the floorsection 8 may be inverted and again lowered,

the inverting operation providing that the casket rollers on thissection 8 are in inoperative positions since they are now on the lowerside of the floor section 8 as shown by the broken line in Fig. 4. Toaccommodate the casket rollers I when the floor section 8 is invertedand to provide that, when inverted, the floor section 8 remains flushwith the undisturbed floor portion 2, the supporting sheet metal member9 is provided with depressions I2, Fig. 2.

To facilitate the inverting of the floor section 8, use is made of apair of connecting bars I3 hingedly connected to stationary members I4,Fig. 1, and at their other ends to hinge members I5 attached to thefloor section. These hinge members are preferably depressed so as to liebelow the floor line, there being al groove-I9 formed in thefloor'portion 2 to accommodate the linksl3l For the inversion of thecasket rollers I along the left-hand side of the floor, Fig. 1,lanoo'rsection I'I is provided.` This section I'I extends lon-vgitudinally of the floor at one side of the floorv from the section I 8Ato the forward end ofthe floor and to enable it tovbe inverted totheposition shown in Fig. 4 links` Ilil'pivoted to station-V ary members i4and hinge members l5' are employed. In Fig. 1 the roller side isuppermost while in Fig. 4 the inversion has been made whereby the casketrollers I are turned downwardly. Depressions I8 and I9 are formed in theforward portion of the sheet metal support 9 to receive the casketrollers l", the depression i5 under the central roller being elongatedforwardly to provide clearance for the fingers when the fingers areinserted through the hand holds 20. The forward end of the sheet metalsupport 9 is supported on wooden members 2| and 22 which in turn rest ona sheet metal member 23 and spacers, one of which is shown at 211,resting on the frame member 5.

One of the reasons for the curvature of the frame 5 as shown is to clearthe rear axle (not shown) and to reduce the overall height of thevehicle. The oor level necessarily is placed quite close to the upperportion of the curve 5 of the frame 5, and above the frame 5 at thenormal elevation thereof such as at 5l a considerable space is provided.This space is utilized in the present invention in two ways: First, itprovides a compartment in which the folded seats are disposed; second, astep is provided at a point intermediate of the ground and the floorlevel; third, it provides a space for the legs of the attendants whenthe vehicle has been converted into an ambulance.

In the upper left-hand portion of Fig. 1 which represents the appearanceof the floor near the right-hand side entrance 3 when the vehicle isarranged as a hearse, there is provided a pair of movable oor sections25 and 26, each of which in the present case is provided with a casketroller indicated at la and Ib. Preferably, each floor section 25 and 25is hingedly connected to the fixed part 2 of the floor, one hinge beingindicated at 2l, Fig. 5, for the oor section 25 whereby that floorsection may be swung upwardly and forwardly as indicated by the dot-dasharc 26, and the hinge 26, Fig. 5, to allow the floor section 26 to swingupwardly and rearwardly as indicated by the dot-dash arc 30. When thefloor section 25 is swung upwardly and forwardly as shown in Fig. 5 thefloor section rests against a vertical partition represented at 3|dividing the drivers compartment from the main part of the vehiclethereby concealing the casket roller la, on this iioor section fromView. Also, it exposes the cushion 32 which is attached to theunderneath side of the floor section 25.

When the floor section 25 is swung upwardly and rearwardly as shown inFig. 5 a portion of the weight is borne by the hinge 29 and casketroller l' thereby concealing this casket roller and the casket roller lbsecured to the floor section 2S. In placing the floor section 25 asshown in Fig. 5 a seat cushion 25' is brought upwardly and a back 33hingedly connected by the hinge 34 to the floor section 25 may then byswung up on the arc 33 to a substantially vertical position. A seat 35is provided for an attendant who utilizes the back cushion 32 and isshown in position in Fig. 5. This seat 35 is disposed in the seatcompartment 35 when the vehicle is serving as a hearse and is broughtupwardly to position and retained at that position by the insertion ofpins, one of which is shown at 31 in Fig. 5 in vertically disposedopenings in the supporting member 2|. The rearward end of the seat 35 isbraced by the hinged brace 38.

It will be seen in Fig. 5 from the position of the seats 25 and 35 thatthe space in the seat compartment 36 is utilized as leg room for theattendants. Therefore, the attendants when seated are at but slightlyhigher elevation than the floor level and therefore have ample head roomeven with the low overall height such as desired for vehicles of thisclass.

Referring to Fig. 4 which shows a floor plan as arranged for anambulance, a support for the movable hinged oor sections 25 and 26 isprovided by a riser member 39 (see also Fig. 3) hingedly connected to awooden strip 40 attached to the sheet meta1 under-floor 23. Aspreviously described, the space 36 known as the seat coinpartmentutilizes the space between the floor level and the space above thestraight portions 5" of the frame, and when the hinged sections 25 and25 are arranged for the ambulance form the hinged riser 35 is swungdownwardly into position to complete the floor of the compartment 35. Asshown in Fig. 3 the outer face of the hinged riser 39 may be coveredwith rubber moulding 4l to correspond with a similar covering 42 in thefixed portion of the compartment 36.

In the operation of converting the vehicle from the arrangement as shownin Fig. l, which is for funeral car purposes, all of the casket rollersbeing uppermost, the floor sections 8 and I1 are inverted and againlowered in place as described. The floor section 25 is swung upwardlyand forwardly to the position as shown in Fig. 5. The

forward seat is raised and secured in place by the insertion of the pins31 in the openings in the member 2l. The oor section 26 is inverted,Fig. 5, and the seat back 33 raised to position, after which the hingedsupporting riser 39 is swung downwardly into place. The appearance ofthe seats when the floor sections 25 and 26 are returned to the positionshown in Fig. 1 is shown by broken lines in Fig. 2.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In a convertible vehicle of the character described, a sectional oorhaving invertible sections and at least one stationary section, meansfor inverting each of said invertible oor sections to position eitherone or the other side of each invertible section at substantially thefloor level and flush with each other and with'the stationary part ofthe floor, and at least one casket roller carried at one side of each ofsaid invertible sections.

2. In a convertible vehicle of the character described, a sectionalfloor, hinge members including pivoted links pivotally connected with aplurality of said floor sections to permit the floor sections to beraised and then inverted and lowered to bring either one or the otherside of each floor section at substantially the floor level, and aplurality of casket rollers carried by one side of each of saidinvertible sections.

3. In a convertible vehicle of the character described, a sectionalfloor, one section of said floor being stationary, a transverselyextending floor section at the rear of the vehicle and a longitudinallyextending floor section at one side of said floor extending from saidrear section to the forward end of said floor, means to invert said lasttwo mentioned floor sections to bring either one or the other side ofeach section at substantially the oor level, and a plurality of casketrollers carried at one side of each of said inverted sections.

4. In a convertible vehicle of the character described, a sectionaliioor having invertible sections and at least one stationary section,means for inverting each of said invertible floor sections plurality ofsaid oor sections to bring either one or the other side of each of saidoor sections at substantially the oor level, a stationary supportbeneath said floor for said invertible iioor sections, and a pluralityof casket rollers carried at one side of each of said invertiblesections.

NA'I'HANIEL W. AUGUSTINE.

